Newsroom vs Courtroom: The trial that happens before the trial

6 min readNew DelhiJul 25, 2026 04:41 PM IST India is not new to the debate over how media trials can destroy both a case and the life of an accused person. (Image generated by AI)Written by Yash GiriIn a courtroom, guilt must be proven. On television, however, it often arrives with the opening headline. Long before evidence is tested, witnesses are examined, or a judge delivers a verdict, public opinion may already have convicted the accused. In India, television and digital news reaches every household regularly, consequently making it the fourth pillar of democracy. It is the eyes and ears through which the public watches the functioning of the courts, police as well as the government. The line between the media being a watchdog for society and becoming an adjudicator is often crossed,